1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally is directed to a printing device to transfer ink onto a recording medium, and more specifically to a device to transfer on a carrier a plurality of print elements arranged in at least one linear row. Furthermore, the invention concerns a method to transfer ink onto a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
From European Patent Document EP-A-0 756 544 by the same applicant, a thermoelectric printing device to transfer ink onto a recording medium is known. Print elements are arranged according to a matrix arrangement on a print drum. The surface of the print drum has pits in which are arranged heating elements that can be selectively activated. Given activation of these heating elements, ink that is contained in the pits is expelled and transferred onto the recording medium. The cited document is hereby included in the disclosure content of the present patent application by reference.
A printing device is known from Published PCT Application WO 01/72518 A1 in which print elements are likewise arranged on a carrier according to a matrix. The print elements are charged with energy with the aid of laser radiation, such that they expel ink from the surface of the carrier or from pits and transfer it onto a print medium.
A printing device is further known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,194 which applies ink to a carrier surface. The carrier surface is partially charged with energy with the aid of laser radiation. The arising pressure pulse causes the dissociation of ink drops that are transferred from the carrier surface to the carrier material.
The cited printing devices and printing methods have the problem that, given very small point diameters, the carrier must be charged with higher thermal energy, for example by means of a laser beam. The technical complexity (for example of providing the laser, and the appertaining optics for acoustic-optic modulators) is very high and limits the total output.